Right: Saints rookie-list beanpole Luke van Rheenen prepares to bang one forward as the Casey Scorpions surge to their third victory of the VFL season on Sunday.By Marc McGowan
THE Casey Scorpions claimed their second top-eight scalp in three weeks with a 16-point triumph over the Bendigo Bombers at Queen Elizabeth Oval, Bendigo on Sunday.
An eight-goal-to-three second half allowed the Scorpions, who were forced to overcome the late scratching of the in-form Steven O’Bryan to a virus, to forget about their early goalkicking woes to move them within half a game of the top eight.
It was Casey’s second straight week on the road, following its disappointing 14-point loss to North Ballarat the previous round.
Facing a Bombers side boasting the likes of Adam Ramanauskas, Nathan Lovett-Murray, Courtney Johns and Kepler Bradley, the Scorpions were in the contest from the start, but just one goal from five scoring attempts in the first quarter left them 11 points in arrears.
The trend continued in the second term, with neither side able to have any significant impact on the scoreboard, but courtesy of more accurate kicking once again, Bendigo’s lead grew to 16 by the main break.
Casey coach Peter Banfield urged his team to improve its ball use and his best exponent – Kyle Mathews – led from the front with a virtuoso performance.
With veteran midfielder Steven Harrison back in the line-up and Saints defender Matthew Ferguson continuing his stellar form, the Scorpions came roaring back.
Banfield’s half-time positional changes included moving second-gamer Adam Parker to the forward line, Troy Makepeace into the middle of the ground and captain Nigel Carmody across half-forward and each had an influence.
Casey’s goalkicking efficiency did not improve, but its dominance all over the field produced nine scoring shots to three, as the match was suddenly level-pegging at three-quarter-time.
With the game in the balance, the Bombers’ veteran squad would have been expected to stand up, but instead the youthful Scorpions outfit surged on to run all over a flagging Bendigo unit.
Four goals to one in the final stanza underlined Casey’s superiority and handed it its third success of the season.
There was even greater reason for celebration in the curtain raiser, where the Scorpions’ reserves recorded a comfortable 28-point win – their first of the year.
Banfield, who coached the Bombers for three years between 2003 and 2005, hailed his side’s second-half effort and believes it confirmed its resurgence of recent weeks.
“We played a tremendous second half. Our work-rate and attacking pressure was excellent,” he said.
“I’ve kept saying we’ve been in good form. I think we have a young group and our running game in the second half was strong and we moved the ball really well and controlled possession.”
Banfield praised the outputs of Mathews, Ferguson and Parker.
“Kyle Mathews played a sensational game, Adam Parker, in his second game, was really good and Matty Ferguson played well,” he said.
“Ferguson is putting his hand up (for AFL selection). He’s had consistently good performances and he is going well.”
Casey has another chance to pocket consecutive conquests when it battles the seventh-placed Northern Bullants at Casey Fields on Sunday at 2pm.
VICTORIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Seniors: Casey Scorpions 10.12.72 d Bendigo Bombers 8.8.56. Goals: Casey: B. Fraser, K. Mathews 2, T. Makepeace, B. Brooks, J. Gwilt, J. Geary, A. Silvagni, J. Sweeney. Bendigo: J. Cloke 3, K. Bradley 2, A. Connaughton, J. Atkinson, T. Hislop. Best: Casey: K. Mathews, M. Ferguson, J. Gwilt, B. Brooks, A. Parker, J. Wall. Bendigo: D. Chartres, C. Johns, B. Jolley, A. Ramanauskas, S. Rosa, J. Cloke.
Reserves: Casey Scorpions 19.7.121 d Bendigo Bombers 13.15.93.
